TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said Monday that China is weaponizing agricultural products by restricting imports and raising tariffs for political purposes.
Speaking at the Presidential Office during a meeting with agricultural award recipients, Lai said Taiwan’s agricultural exports to China have fallen from 20.5% in 2015 to 11.5% last year, per CNA. He added that the US and Japan have now become Taiwan’s top two agricultural export markets, per UDN.
Lai said China has used agriculture as a form of political leverage, either by banning imports under various pretexts or raising tariffs. Taiwan must continue to reduce dependence on any single market and pursue diversified global expansion, he said.
He pointed to recent breakthroughs in agricultural exports, noting that mangoes, lychees, and dragon fruit were shipped to high-end European markets for the first time this month. The government will strengthen cold-chain logistics and animal and plant disease prevention, Lai said.
Lai also said Taiwan had recently been affected by heavy rainfall, which caused significant crop damage. He said the government has activated disaster relief measures, including cash assistance and low-interest loans.
